Full boat yard services, open every day all year round.
www.norburywharfltd.co.uk

NORBURY WHARF LIMITED

Shop front in the summer

Wednesday, 11 July 2012

A horse, a boat and you

Sitting behind the desk having a cuppa this morning a familiar face walked through the door. Trevor now sells Waterways publications to suppliers like ourselves around the canal system, but I knew him long before he was into travelling the country selling his wares. He has had companies transporting and selling coal, hiring out dayboats, operating and trip boat and a canal contract company. It's always a pleasure to have a chat. He likes coming to Norbury as there is always something to have a look at. Today it was our newly acquired tug, which he took great interest in and assures me is fitted with the wrong size propeller - we will see if he is right when we get it in the canal!

Anyway, one of the reasons for his visit was to drop off a number of copies of a book that I had ordered. This delightful paperback was written by Alice Lapworth, another person that I have known for many years. Here's a bit about her book "A horse, a boat and you" which is dedicated to her Mum and Dad - George and Anne Wain.

Alice Lapworth is one of those who remain of a breed of people who are rapidly vanishing from among us - a group to whom this country owes a debt greater than many realise. She was born in 1944, to a family of boat people, in the back cabin of a horse boat in Tunstall. Alice grew up on the canals; she married a boatman and bore her own daughter on the boats. With the end of carrying some forty years ago, no only her job but her entire way of life is gone forever. This is her story told in her own words.

If anyone would like a copy, we have now got them in stock.

The sun has been out for the majority of the day here, although we have had a couple of down pours which has allowed Simon to get on with the plating work that he is in the middle of. Jake has been doing some jobs on the hire boats that are in whilst Fred has been on Fred duties. Ange and Lorraine have been looking after the shop and tearoom.

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About us

Norbury Wharf was taken over from Anglo Welsh in 2005 by its current owners and renamed Norbury Wharf Ltd. Since then two of the original share holders have retired leaving Simon Jenkins as Managing Director and Michael Thompson as Director. The business has grown and now employees 15 staff. Staff list comprises of: Simon Jenkins as MD, Mick Thompson as Director and Engineer, David Ray as Manager, Angela Ward as Admin/Reception and bookings, Joyce as E-bay and shop assistant, Denise as Catering supervisor, Sylvia as Catering assistant, Lee as painter, Big Bernard as Engineer, Peter, Fred and Mick as Wharf Services, Will as trip boat steerer, Sandra as trip boat crew, Carol as housekeeping and not forgetting the seasonal staff who help out when its busy!

About Me

Simon Jenkins (Managing Director) - I have been involved in the canals since the 1980's and in boat building since the early 90's I have boated most of the connected waterways system, I have owned more boats than i can count, and I have lived on all sorts of boats over my time as a live aboard, I now live in a small cottage not far from Norbury I have been at Norbury since 1997 and running it since 2005.
David Ray (Manager) - I have been boating since I was born and have a passion for historic boats. I now live on a converted ex-working boat. I have been here at Norbury since 2005.